Newspapers That Started 'Linsanity' Are Now Declaring It Dead

Outlets like the New York Post and The New York Times started the hype for the nascent Knicks superstar, so they might as well have the right to say "Linsanity" is over when it's over. That's exactly the call the Post made on its back cover this morning, by trumpeting "R.I.P. Linsanity," a headline that only gains resonance when paired with another more level-headed story in The New York Times finding signs of declining interest in Lin in slumping sales of his jersey and #Linsanity's failure to trend on Twitter since February 25. (By tracking down Asians watching Knicks basketball in a SoHo bar, The Times played as much of a part in hyping Lin as the tabloids.) The news peg for the declaration of the trend's death today was Knicks coach Mike D'Antonio's departure from the team on Wednesday and interim coach Mike Woodson's wavering on whether he'd continue starting Lin as his point guard. But New Yorkers ought to have seen the signs before the newspapers announced them. Duane Reade had been discounting Lin gear all week and of course there's the matter of the Knicks losing six consecutive games prior to its only win in March on Wednesday, one where Lin tellingly had six turnovers and only six points. We can feel safe taking the tabloids and The Times at their word today, since it was their interest to keep Lin's superstardom going instead of having him settle into some mid-level role on the Knicks. The Linspired puns certainly sold papers.